Tuesday, 1 February 2011

Footage of the Ballet Russes performing 'Festival of Narcissus' unearthed

This scrap of silent film - all 30 seconds of it - may well be the only footage of Diaghilev's famous ballet company in action:

FESTIVAL OF NARCISSUS

There is film of individual stars, but this clip (almost certainly filmed without the impressario's knowledge or permission) is all we have of the whole company. Very exciting! Jane Pritchard of London's V&A has dated it to June 1928 and thinks it was part of the flower festival in Montreux, Switzerland.